I am a forty-one year old
woman who was born right here in the good old USofA of white, Lutheran
parents. I also happen to be a practicing Muslim of the Islamic faith you
seem to show extreme hatred and ignorance of. I have read your articles
and seen you commenting on national television this past week and every
time I see you, I hear something offensive and ignorant spilling out of
your mouth and into the ears of millions of hurt, angry and mostly "clueless"
Americans regarding my faith.

On PBS this Friday, the 15th, there
you were using the word "Islamists". As a highly respected journalist for
one of the most prestigious papers in the world, you of all people should
not be using words that do not exist. "....the Islamists intended to ring
in the new century..." Islamists, Ms. Miller? Who or what exactly is an
"Islamist?" Is that sort of like a "Mohammedan?" or maybe this is just
a good old fashioned throw back to the term "Barbarian." I saw you on ABC
(I think) saying that Bin Laden "thanked Allah for the deaths in America"
as if Allah and God are not the same. I do not for one minute believe this
choice of words was accidental on your part. Allah was used to distinguish
the "Muslim God" from the "true God" or "our" God, whoever "WE" are. One
thing is for sure, "we" apparently does not include any American Muslims
who happen to pray to Allah five times a day.

Ms. Miller, I'm sure I do not have
to tell you that there are more than 7 million Muslims living in this country.
I do not know of a single group, mosque or Islamic Center that has done
anything but categorically denounced the atrocities that took place on
Tuesday, the 11th of September. Many held prayer vigils along with millions
of other worshipers this Friday, a national day of mourning. Passages from
the Koran were read by a Muslim at the national prayer service in Washington,
DC. This was arranged by the President to demonstrate to the world that
the issue is not religious or ethnic in anyway, put a question of catching
and punishing a small group of murderous animals who have snatched the
flag of Islam and cloaked themselves in it, to the horror of all peace
and freedom loving Muslims everywhere.

If you had bothered to read the Koran
you would see that the killing of noncombatants in any war is forbidden.
Extreme nationalism is forbidden. Bin Laden is the worst kind of nationalists
and extremist. He violates Islam every time he opens his mouth. To call
his group "Islamists" is as vile and insult to Muslims as it is to categorize
all Christians as Klansmen, despite the fact that the Klan has been using
as its symbol the Christian cross since its conception. Its vile and I
do not believe that someone as well informed and intelligent as you did
this by accident. For some reason unbeknownst to me, you have a real deep
seated hatred for this religion and for those who choose to worship within
its folds. Whatever. Its a free country and you have the right to hate
and misunderstand any group you choose. What you don't have the right to
do is to go in front of the Millions of mainstream Americans at such a
sensitive time as this, pass yourself off as this objective "expert" on
the Middle East and voice your OPINIONS and loosely veiled prejudices as
carefully researched facts.

My children have to attend public
school here, Mrs. Miller. My son has an Islamic name and My eleven year
old daughter does not look exactly "white bread". My husband, (S-----,
of Sri Lanken Decent) has to go to work every day. If you think these days
of terror and uncertainty are hard on "average Americans" why don't you
just triple that for all Muslim Americans and their children. We are not
only having to deal with this tragedy on the same frightened and shocking
level that everyone else is, we also have to deal with home grown terrorists
threats from red blooded Americans cloaked in the "Red white and Blue"
We must also deal with the shameful knowledge that these acts were committed
by members of our own faith. Americans seem to feel we should be apologizing
for these people. I wonder how many Baptists went around apologizing for
the Federal Building bombing. Or how many Southerners feel that have to
hide in their homes everytime the Klan raises its ugly head.

Now I will give you an insight into
what it has been like to be Muslim in this country the past week; Try looking
into the face of your frightened children and finding no words to explain
why you are sobbing uncontrollably as the second tower crumbles to the
ground right in front of your eyes; why people are giving them hostile
stares; why their school is closed and police patrol their place of worship;
why that man yelled something at Mommy today; why Momie and Daddy are scared.
You need to think of these things the next time you take your big fat paint
brush and paint all Muslims with the terrorist label and use your inflammatory
made up words to carry your messages to the American people. Feel free
to call me if you ever want to get really informed about Islam.